Period One

Form time, known as “Period One”, is a 30-minute lesson from 8:50-9:20. The aim of this time is to prepare pupils for the learning contained in their day ahead; to ensure the welfare and development of the whole child; and to provide improved literacy at a whole-school level. Activities are varied and flexible to meet the pastoral needs of all pupils.

Form Tutors

Form tutors provide a point of contact for parents/carers when any personal issues arise (contact cards have been distributed to ensure a higher level of home-school communication). Form tutors are a clear and ever-present role model for their form group members amongst the challenges of the school day. Period 1 occurs daily allowing for strong relationships to be built between tutor, pupil, and their peers.

Activities

Every day begins with ten minutes of silent reading for the Accelerated Reader Programme and key-subject vocabulary is learnt and revised within Period 1 to improve pupils’ access to the curriculum. Pupils are prepared for life through careers activities, to enable them to make good and individualised choices as they grow into young and responsible adults. In Period 1, pupils also take part in the Enterprise project, in which each form is given an investment with which they raise money for charity, improving their leadership and teamwork skills, and contributing to the school’s ethos of generosity. Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and 11) are supported in their exam preparation by learning revision skills and being given time to revisit their learning as part of Period 1.

Belonging and Community

The Malling School’s strong sense of belonging and school community is evident in Period 1: each of the four faculties (Curie, Faraday, Holmes, and Redgrave) meet weekly for assembly and sixth formers have a topic per week which they teach to younger students in the school. Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 and 9) tutor groups are organised into vertical tutoring groups, where pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 are in the same group. This gives the opportunity for relationship building between pupils of different ages. The Malling School is a school which values the views of its pupils and during Period 1 pupils discuss their ideas for change, which are then taken and listened to at regular Pupil Voice meetings.